Today we’re continuing the list of our favourite dive sites Australia wide. Please remember, they are our personal favourite dive sites, and they are not listed in any particular order (Oh, and don’t forget we haven’t dived Tasmania yet, we can’t wait to do that though)!

6) Exmouth Navy Pier (WA)

Yup, another dive site in Western Australia. We just can’t get enough of diving in WA – please take us there now ;)!
The Exmouth Navy Pier is definitely a site not to be missed. The Navy Pier is part of the US Navy Base in Exmouth and therefor under control of the American navy. No one is allowed on the pier without permission and fishing is not permitted. Only one dive shop per season is allowed to dive the pier (and the permit rotates every season to create equal opportunities for the dive shops). Because the Exmouth Navy Pier is protected and regulated, there is a lot of marine life underneath it. Just as with the wreck of the SS Yongala (see our Top 10 Dive Sites – Part 1 Blog) the marine life is bigger and very inquisitive when divers are around. The usual suspects underneath the Exmouth Navy Pier are massive groupers, banded sea snakes, white tip reef sharks, grey nurse sharks, stunning nudibranchs, big rays and much more! When we dived the Pier there was a big pod of dolphins that came out to play with our group as well and if you’re lucky you can see larger sharks here as well. If you want to dive the Exmouth Navy Pier have a look at the Exmouth Visitor Centre Website to find out what dive centre holds the permit to dive the pier this year.

7) Rapid Bay Jetty (SA)

Rapid Bay is only an hour and a half drive south from Adelaide in South Australia. Rapid Bay is home to the endemic Leafy Sea Dragon and best of all, it’s a shore dive! Rapid Bay Jetty is definitely most famous for its “Leafies”, but there are many more reasons why you shouldn’t miss out on scuba diving here when in South Australia. Rapid Bay is a beautiful dive site, with lots of (bright coloured) growth on the pylons. There is a lot of marine life to be found underneath the jetty, including the Giant Cuttlefish, different species of crabs, pipefish, big Bull Rays, big schools of Old Wives and Pufferfish, (pygmy) Leatherjackets, and the list continues. If you are lucky enough you might even encounter a Weedy Sea Dragon (Weedy Sea Dragons are family of the Leafy Sea Dragon, but more commonly found in Victoria and New South Wales). If you are interested in meeting the Leafy Sea Dragon have a look at the Diving Adelaide Leafy Sea Dragon Diving Page. For more information about Rapid Bay, have a look at the Diving Adelaide Rapid Bay Jetty page.

8) Shelly Beach (NSW)

A lot of people don’t associate Sydney with scuba diving, but there’s actually some amazing diving to be done in and around Sydney harbour! It was a toss-up between Shelly Beach and Magic Point, as we love diving both. In the end we decided for Shelly Beach as we believe there is a wider variety of marine life you can spot here and because it’s easily accessible (from shore). Magic Point is a great (boat) dive; mainly because of the colony of Grey Nurse Sharks you can see here as well as the cute Weedy Sea Dragons. However, on a single dive at Shelly Beach we spotted 5 different species of sharks and two different kinds of rays!
Shelly Beach is located near Manly, which breathes a very relaxed atmosphere. The beach from which you enter the water is packed with cute little cafés and besides a kit up area with rubber tiles and low platforms to easily get in and out of your gear, there is a small building that contains showers, toilets and a changing area! This makes it ideal to bring non-diving friends and family who can either swim, snorkel & lounge at the beach or enjoy a coffee or lunch at one of the cafes while you are diving. As mentioned above, we love it because of the large variety of sharks that can be seen here. In one dive, we saw a Port Jackson Shark, Angel Shark, Crested Horn Shark, Wobbegong Shark and a Dusky Whaler. Awesome! On another occasion we were surprised by a group of 10 small Dusky Whaler Sharks cruising past. Even more awesome! It’s not only the sharks that make it an excellent dive site though. Other marine life here includes the Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Blue Groupers, Fiddler Rays, different species of shrimps and octopus and more! And there is an old motorcycle that was left underwater so scuba divers can pay a visit and take some crazy pictures with it. Maximum depth is about 10 metres when you swim all the way out. All in all it’s an amazing dive site that is suitable for divers of all levels.

9) Ewens Ponds (SA)

Ewens Ponds is located in the Mount Gambier Region in South Australia and part of the Ewens Ponds Conservation Park. Ewens Ponds consists of three different ponds that are connected to each other by small channels, so you can easily swim from one pond to the next. The reason why it’s in our top 10 Australian dive sites, is because of the incredible visibility in the ponds. On a bad day it’s about 30+ metres, on a good day you can easily see from one end of the pond to the other (50+ metres). When diving the ponds keep a close eye on the bottom, as in some areas you can see the limestone filtered water bubble up through the sand on the bottom! Besides the visibility, it’s the experience of diving in freshwater and the change of underwater scenery, compared to all other recreational dive sites in South Australia that makes it so enjoyable to dive!
If you aren’t used to diving freshwater sites this will definitely make you feel like you are diving in a different world, and it’s an excellent opportunity to take some special photos. Keep in mind that you need to adjust your weight when diving in freshwater, so make sure you do a proper buoyancy check before you descent on your dives in the ponds. Have a look at the Ewens Pond Conservation Park website for more information.

10) Flinders Pier (VIC)

We picked the Flinders Pier in Victoria because it’s the home of the Weedy Sea Dragon. When we arrived at the dive site we asked a local diver what the chances were to see a Weedy Sea Dragon at this site. We believe his response was something like “Mate, if you don’t see a Weedy here, you must have your eyes in your back pocket!” And sure enough, directly after entering the water and starting our descent, we spotted the first beautiful weedy sea dragon floating right there underneath us in the weeds! I think we encountered about 15 Weedy Sea Dragons on a single dive, so if you are keen to see one, you’re definitely at the right address here! Besides the graceful Weedy Sea Dragon we saw a beautiful draughtboard shark, a stingray and lots of the usual “temperate water suspects”. It’s an easy dive with easy entry and exit from the jetty! Have a look at the Parks Victoria website to read up on the Flinders Pier.

That’s it for now! Feel free to leave your comments below, and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you’ve got any questions about diving in Australia!